It appears that there is a 'competition' between cyclists and runners since both tend to have rules that the other group does not understand. However, for those who are utilizing both sports know the benefits of cycling in matters related to running. More often than not, injured runners are asked instead to ride their bike for healing and physical therapy purposes.
By and large, cycling is very good training for runners. Only a few understand and comprehend the real value of cycling and usually these are the people who are doing cross training...

Having just completed pacing at Brazos Bend 100 where everything was flat and I had to adjust to using the same muscles repeatedly, I’m starting to think about recovery and how I can best prepare for my next set of races. The Bandera 100k (pacing a superb athlete), and Rocky Raccoon 100 (shooting for sub 19 hours) are are going to be extreme iwith varying terrain and lots of speed, and they get me thinking about how I want to avoid past mistakes I’ve made in my recovery.
I was 10 days post Ironman Louisville and I may have ...

In less than two weeks I will be at the starting line of the Coldwater Rumble 100 in Goodyear, Arizona. This will be my third attempt at completing a 100 mile ultra trail run and if successful will also be the third belt buckle I collect. Since many friends and colleagues know that I run 100 mile races they also know that I train for them and have begun asking me questions about the race. Maybe the fact that the date is just around the corner is what has sparked this interest but either way answering these questions helps frame my mind for the ...

Staying motivated seems to be an issue for a lot of people and that includes me. I am a self motivated person and pursue my goals with a reckless abandon but there are days when going to the pool, or running the same route or getting on the trainer are the absolute last things I want to do. Sometimes making a huge brunch, reading the newspaper (yes I still do that.......I work for DMNmedia and The Dallas Morning News), and watching Remember The Titans are the only things I want to do. When those days come I try to think about why I ...

Setting goals is a topic of conversation that takes place constantly in the endurance world. Make one mention about a race you are doing and the first question is: What is your goal? Participating in endurance sports for the past 8 years I have been setting goals constantly but last night I was asked by Karen what my goals were for Rocky Raccoon 100 on Saturday. It caught me by surprise because I only have one goal. Why any person would be setting goals for one race unless those goals are to finish healthy with a time. If you are asking me abou...

If you have been involved in endurance sports long enough you have heard the statement that running slower will make you faster about 1,000,000 times. 999,999 times you have ignored that advice but I am here to tell you that you should not ignore this advice. I am also hear to tell you that it is not that straightforward. I think when people here this statement about running slower they believe that all of their training should be done slower and that magically they will get faster. The fact is that you need variation and slow is definitely one...

In-Race nutrition is a topic that seems to live a life of its own when it comes to endurance sports and I think it is because everybody is looking for the simple answer. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to in-race nutrition. This process is a set of trials and errors while you are training and then again during competition. We have all read about testing out products during training but based on the number of posts on social media that I see regarding in-race nutrition it seems that nobody is taking that to heart. This blog post i...

This simple question was asked of me twice in the past week and I answered quite simply as well: Because I love it. Truth be told it is far more complicated than that but in reality it is also that simple. I do the things I do because I love them. I do not have the time or patience to do things just because. When I put my training plan together I do so with a purpose. Each run during ultra training has a meaning whether that is recovery, tempo, trail or just long. Every swim, bike and run session during Ironman training has a reason. The idea o...

Triathlon periodization traning for Ironman Chattanooga was going to be an experiment on n=1. The reason I phrase it that way is that I was not in a control group, nor were there other examples of triathletes doing the type of training I set out for myself back in June. I did not have a clue as to what would unfold but I did know one thing. I knew that I was burnt out on triathlon. Having trained for and completed 3 Ironman distance races over the course of 12 months I could not take another 6 to 8 month training cycle. It was too much, and whi...

Three simple lessons are all I am capable of writing about at this point but there were far more. These three simple lessons happen to stand out far more than the others and it they are something that I think those that are starting in the Ironman training and racing arena can benefit from as well as those veterans that may have lost their way, the same way I had. When I say I lost my way I am referring to the constant training and racing for 18 plus months while racing Ironman Texas twice and Ironman Arizona. I did not realize it as I was goin...

Racing Kona This October.....not DOING Kona this October.Racing. Just the word alone gets my adrenaline rushing. I hear the word racing and I think about the work that goes into a successful race and I get excited. I want to create a plan, execute the plan, push my mind, body and soul past its pre-set limitations so that when race day comes I am ready. This year I will be racing only twice, which sounds odd, but it is where I have decided to focus my attention. I already raced the Lake Martin 100 and in four w...

Ironman Chattanooga training experiment of n=1 has reached the end of the first three-week cycle. This week is pure recovery as I allow my body to get stronger as well as prepare to tackle the 2nd three week cycle. If you are new to my blog then you are probably asking yourself what are these cycles he is talking about. Allow me to clarify for a moment. Starting with Ironman Texas in 2012 I embarked on training for and racing 3 Ironman races over the course of 12 months. Of course you do not just jump into an Ironman, yo...

Cycling was the main focus for the first week of Ironman Chattanooga training and it kicked me in the face. I struggled more than I expected but I also found out that I can take all those struggles and turn them into victories. I also learned that the plan I have put together for myself, with its sport specific weeks, proved to be successful. As many of you know I have decided to go without a coach for this next Ironman race. I have truly enjoyed working with both Claudia and Maria but I needed to hit the reset button while al...

This week's version of Triathlete Tales involves a different type of endurance, and how my life outside of the office helped me with my life in the office. As many of you know I work for DMNmedia which is the marketing solutions provider for The Dallas Morning News. My role is to work with companies, both local and national, with marketing to their target market. We have over 80 different solutions ranging from hyper-local print publications all the way through to guaranteed hires for recruiting services. I tell you this...

Triathlete tales was a segment I started last week and hope to continue to post about as my routine changes on my way to Ironman Chattanooga. Why change? My routine is changing because I wanted to explore the world beyond triathlon. The endurance world has so much to offer and I want to explore these other sports to see which, if any, will allow me to become a better triathlete. I have discovered that the world of ultra running gives me not only endurance but my core gets stronger as well as developing the mental capacity to p...

Open water swimming has become the go to for my training lately. In large part I am doing open water swimming as a way to recover from the Lake Martin 100, but at the same time I need to improve in this facet of triathlon otherwise Ironman Chattanooga is going to take longer than it should. In the past training cycles for Ironman races I have swum every Friday with members of the FWTri Club. This training was extremely helpful when it comes to not just getting into the open water but also in dealing with panic attacks, which I...

Mind Blown. Source: Rocket Inbound[/caption] Triathlete tales is a series I have been thinking of writing since November but have not been able to put my thoughts to paper until now. The reason I can now start to write Triathlete Tales is that I have sort of started my training for Ironman Chattanooga. I say sort of started because my detailed plan does not start until June 25th and that is part of the title in regards to a 180* change in perception. For those of you that have been reading my blog since it was on Blogspot under the name Baha703...

Ultra running is defined as anything longer than 26.2 miles, or the marathon distance. I recently joined the ranks of ultra running by participating in 4 different events over the months of February and March. The distances covered were 50k (31.1 miles), 50 Miles and 100 Miles. In the past these distances would have been daunting. As a matter of fact the 100 mile distance is still daunting and will probably always give me pause before hitting the register button. The 100 mile race has the opportunity to present so ...

Ultra trail runner. Ironman. Both descriptions fit me. Both descriptions also represent my passion for endurance sports. Triathlete is another description but earlier today when John asked me via Twitter the following: My response to this question was Yes and No but it was something that I had to think about for a few moments. The reason I had to take pause before giving that non-committal answer is that I love the sport of triathlon. The opportunity to compete at three different sports on one day to ac...

Analysis of races is one way I look to improve my performances. Making sure to analyze the pacing of the race, my nutrition and finally I make sure to do an analysis about where I was mentally. Since this was my first 100 mile race there has been a lot to review and think about. This is not the typical run in terms of pacing, nutrition and mental ability and thus the analysis will not be typical. I am not even sure I can take what I learned out on the course of Lake Martin 100 and apply it to anything else. I am looking at the Rocky R...